Update from the 2008 Shambhala Institute Authentic Leadership in Action conference

Water over rocks

The 8th Authentic Leadership in Action summer Institute was held at the Shambhala Institute in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada this June 2008.

“It was a powerful, intelligent and compassionate experience of learning and leadership for the present and our future.

Over 270 committed people from all corners of the world were drawn together to understand, experience, learn and share how to respond as leaders to the enormous and complex challenges (environmental, institutional and in society) facing all of us.

It was one of the most comfortable spaces to be to explore chaos, discomfort, fear, unknown answers and discover empowerment, collaboration, innovation, strategic partnerships, collective intelligence, wisdom, practical tools and sustainable actions.”

Penny Holden

Why you need to be interested?

This is the *‘frontier outpost of leadership training’, bringing together *‘committed, courageous people from around the globe who are grappling with the complex challenges of their organizations and communities’. It has drawn together some of our most respected global thought leaders, practitioners, futurists in the fields of transformative leadership and social innovation, for instance Peter Senge, Margaret Wheatley, Otto Scharmer, Toke Moeller to name a few.

Whatever your frame of reference – organizational, business, community, society, personal the Institute explores and addresses this interest and challenges us all to become authentic leaders in action.

And the overall aim is?

*‘The Shambhala Institute for authentic leadership aspires to be a beacon and resource for leaders travelling the road towards more compassionate, life-serving, and sustainable organizations and communities. It strives to encourage us as leaders to be more systemic, holistic, and identify powerful ways of being, learning, and leading our workplaces and our lives.’

What was covered?

Over 5 days you experience an integrated programme of in-depth modules, plenary dialogues, mindfulness meditation, and creative and artistic practice.

2008 Modules

The modules were attended for a total of 15 hours over the 5 days.

2008 plenary sessions

Deep Democracy Immersion

This was an extremely powerful method originated by Myrna Lewis and her husband (psychologists/ consultants) for aligning groups and resolving blockages to forward movement. We experienced the model in action and discovered its stunning power to remove blocks and resolve conflict.

Deep Democracy has been tested and refined in post-Apartheid South Africa and is now being practiced in corporate, community, and cross-sector contexts around the world.

We aim to bring Myrna out to NZ for ground breaking workshops in 2009! Watch this space….

Strategy at the Edge

This plenary explored “what is the most effective way to influence complex systems? How do we bring together strategic intention with the flux of emergence?”

This was led by Margaret Wheatley (author Leadership and the New Science), Adam Kahane (author of Solving Tough Problems: An Open Way of Talking, Listening, and Creating New Realities), and Jim Gimian (co-author The Rules of Victory: Strategies from The Art of War)

Engaging the Invisible Forces of Systemic Change: An Artistic Inquiry

Drawing on the performing arts, Shambhala principles, and Social Presencing Theatre, a team of Shambhala Institute artists paid homage to the "deep world" of connection and magic that empowers our work as leaders.

‘As a leader navigating through rapid change, you know that you can no longer depend on the lessons of the past nor the certainties of the future.’

Shambhala Institute

2009 Summer Institute
June 21-27, 2009
Halifax, Nova Scotia

 

* quotes taken from Shambhala Institute website

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